Rotary engine



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No. 343,206. f Patented June 8, 1886.

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ROTARY ENGINE. 1 No. 343,206. Y Patented June 8, 1886.

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J. J. ST. LAWRENCE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 343,206. Pmemdrune a; 1886.

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' ROTARY ENGINE. No* 343,205. PatentedJune 8, 1886.

ilNiTen STATES PATENT Trice.,

ROTARYENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110,343,206, dated June 8,1886.

Application filed November 10, 1885. Serial No. 182,333. (No model.)

To @ZZ 1,071,071@ it may concern.y

Be it known that I, J AMEs J. ST. LAWRENCE,- a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and Improved Rotary-Engine; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same.

The generally ephemeral character of engines ofthe foregoing descriptionhitherto invented appears to be due, even when they are wellconstructed, entirely to mechanical difculties, which may be summed upin the statement that, asitis believed, so far no means have been foundof packing the pistons so that they shall work without excessivefriction, bc permanently steam-tight, and durable.

It is my object to afford a rotary engine, by the construction of whichthese mechanical difficulties shall be overcome in a degree sufficientto render the device operative, practicable, and durable.

To this end my invention consists in the general construction of myimproved machine; and it also consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, allf as hereinafter more fullyset forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of a rotaryengi-ne of my improved construction, having the steam and theexhaustpipes broken away. Fig. 2 represents in elevation the 'inner sideof one cylinder-head, (both cylinder-heads, however, being constructedalike,) showing the cam-slot which controls the movement of the pistons.Fig. 8 shows a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, andviewed in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig. 4, a sectional plan viewtaken on the line 4 4. of Fig. l; Fig. 5, an end view of thepiston-wheel, which is indicated by the dotted lines in the figure, thefull lines representing the disk or head, one being provided on each endofthe wheel, and two of the piston-actuating bars being shown insection, the horizontally-angular portions being removed to show therecesses or guides in which the upright angular portions of thepiston-actuating bars reciprocate; Fig. 6, a plan view of thepiston-wheel with the shaft broken away at its ends, and having onesliding piston removed to show the recesses in which it works; Fig. 7, abroken view of a detail taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 8; Fig. 8, abroken sectional view enlarged rand showing the compensating mechanismforeach piston with the spring distended 5 Fig. 9, asectional view ofthesame, showing the spring compressed; Fig. 10, an enlarged sectional viewsimilar to that shown in Fig. 3, but showing details incapable ofrepresentation on such figure owing to its size, and having parts brokenaway topermit the display; Fig. l1, a sectional view of a portion of thedevice as represented in Fig. 4, enlarged and showing the construct-ionof certain details; and Fig. 12, a sectional View, in perspective,showing the construction of the walls separating the steam and exhaustchambers and the manner of adjusting the packing-blocks.

My construction involves a shell, A, suitably supported, as shown,cylindrical in form as to its central portion, but provided with lateraldivided chambers, forming steam chests or chambers B and B', and exhaustchests or chambers C and C', which chambers open into the cylindricalportion D, and a piston-wheel, E, of particular construction,carryingpistons F and F and G and G', having a reciprocating motion to extend inaffording a closed steam-chamberand retract to permit the exhaust, whichreciprocating operationsare effected by suitable mechanism,hereinafterdescribed, guided inthe cam grooves or slots'H, Fig. 2, provided on theinner faces of the vcylinder-heads A.

The detailed construction of my device will be best understood by adescription of the various parts forming it in connection with adescription of the operation of such parts, which is as follows:

The piston-wheel E is rotated upon its shaft I, which is journaled inopposite sides of the shell A, by means of steam-pressure introducedthrough pipes r and r', leading into the chambers B and B', andimpinging against the pistons F and F. The chambers B and C and C and Bare respectively separated from each other by a partition, q, havinginwardly-slanting sidewalls, all formed on plates M, bolted to coveropenings provided to receive them in the shell A, whereby they may beremoved to renew the packing-blocks N, inserted into recessesf, providedin the forward ends of the partitions q to receive them, and springs e,which force the packing-blocks against the IOO surface of thepiston-wheel,which, really,with the dividing-wallsp qor packing-blocks,forms the steam and exhaust chambers.

The piston-wheel E is in the form cfa spool, narrower in diameter thanthe cylindi ical portion of the shell A to leave asp-ace between theadjacent surfaces of the two, which is alternately divided by thepistons F and F and G and G into steam-tight chambers and open chamberscommunicating with the exhausts C and C', and the heads K on theopposite ends of the piston-wheel (being secured in position bycountersunk screws, as shown in Fig. 5) are of a diameter to extend intocontact with packing-rings o, two of which are placed side by sideinside the cylinder A, toward each end of the same, where it is recessedto receive them, the flange portions of the heads K fitting snuglyagainst the rings, and the flat inner surfaces of these flange portionsare in contact with packing-blocks, adjusted like the packing-blocks Nin the ends of the partitions g, and having a tendency to lateral oroutward pressure by means of springs e.

A device (shown in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings) serves to tighteneach ring against the adjacent head K, as desired. It comprises athimble, n, on the shell, containing a T-rod, u, or pin with across-head, as shown, extend-- ing through the same and entering at theextremity ot the shank, a groove or depression in the ring and ascrew-cap, m, on the thimble inclosing a spiral spring,'m', which restsupon the head ofthe T-rod, and is compressed or allowed to expand byturning the cap m, thus affording a yielding pressure. These devices areplaced around the cylinder D alternately, about four being provided foreach ring.

The piston-wheel E is provided with openings Z, extending longitudinallythrough it to afford the greatest possible'lightness of this feature byremoving superiiuous metal, and between these openings in the webopenings k are formed, also extending longitudinally through the wheel,and above these are narrower openings, k', radial upon the wheel andextending to the surface of the latter. At

their extremities the openings k', wherethey are formed on the innersides of the heads K, are beveled outwardly, as clearly shown in Figs.l0 and l1, upon their rear surfaces, and narrower than in thepiston-wheel to afford snug fit to the tenons y on the reciprocatingpistons, hereinafter described. A fiat bar, L, is provided in eachopening it. Its ends extend beyond the same,and are bent to form rightangular portions L', adjacent to the surfaces of the heads K, which aregrooved or recessed,as shown at `1,/,to receive and guide them, andagain bent to afford right-angular portions L, which extend into thecam-grooves H,provided on thc internal surfaces of the cylinder-heads A.A piston, F, F', G, and G, each in the form of a rectangular oblongmetallic bar, having the tenons 'y at its opposite ends, is provided foreach recess k', being of a thickness to tit snugly within the same,bothas to its main and tenon portions, and is connected with the bar L bymeans of rods ,passing through the latter into the piston and held bylock-nuts i. The opening for each rod i, leading from a chamber, It,into a chamber, k', is iianged, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and providedwith an annular cap,h,to contain packing h. The rods 'i are reduced indiameter toward their ends nearest the center of the piston-wheel, asclearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9, to afford shoulders for spiral springsg, placed between them and the bars L, and serving a purpose hereinafterdescribed, and the rods are extensible upon their reducedportioi1s,which must be separable from them.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that since the parts L2 ofthe bars L,to which the pistons are connected, must in the revolution ofthe piston-wheel follow the guides afforded by the cam slots H in thecylinderheads, the pistons F F G G must reciprocate in conformity withthe shape of the cam grooves or slots. This is so formed that with thepiston-wheel Ein the position represented in Fig. l, the pistons will bein contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion of theshell A, but that by the continued revolution ofthe piston-wheel,producedk by the pressure of steam within the chambers B and B againstthe pistons Fand F', the pistons G and G will pass the exhaust-chambersC and C', allowing the steam confined between the various pistons toexhaust, and as the pistons last specified approach the walls p q theyare collapsed by the form of the cam grooves or slots H' to permit themto pass without being removed from close contact with the packingblocksN. Of course each pair of pistons F F and G G performs thepiston-function alternately in the revolution of the piston,- wheel, anddescribes the plane illustrated by the dotted line x in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, remaining while it serves as a piston in close contact withthe inner surface ot' the cylinder A', and dispensing with the use ofpacking on the ends of the pistons.

As the frictional wear upon the outer edges of the pistons will reducethe latter in extent ot' cross-section, the springs g are provided,being originally adjusted in compressed conv dition, as shown in Fig. 9,but insuring by their expansion, with the wearing off of t-he metal uponthe contact edges of the pistons, always the same close contact of thelatter with the inner surface of the cylinder A.

Lubrication of the parts is accomplished through a hand-hole, M, in acylinder-head, A, or in each, if required,and openings f, leading fromthe openings l into the openings or recesses lr,to permit lubrication ofthe pistons.

A highly-important feature of my construction consists in the beveledform of the openings K at their extremities, as they enable resistanceagainst the extension of the recip- IOO rocating pistons by the steam-pressure to be overcome by permitting the entrance below the pistons ofsteam to produce counter-pressure. rIhis is afforded by the entrance ofsteam underneath the pistons as they descend, the beveled form of theopenings k' at their ends leaving spaces between the extreme ends of thetenons y and rear walls of the ends of such openings,through whichspaces the steam may enter underneath the pistons tor Vthe purposenamed; but these spaces are closed with the reciprocating pistons at ornear the position of the piston shown in Fig. 1l, owing to their closetit, when extended, within theirbearings afforded by the ends of theopenings k'.

I/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a rotary engine having a piston-wheel provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the cylinder provided with lateralnon-communicating chambers forming with the pistonwheel t-he exhaust andsteam chambers in pairs on opposite sides, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine having a pistonwheel provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the cylinder provided with lateralchambers forming with the piston-wheel the exhaust and steam chambers,and the reciprocating pistons movable within openings lc in thepiston-wheel, beveled at their extremities to afford spaces throughwhich to admit steam underneaththe pistons, and produce therebycounter-pressure to the st cam-suppl y, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine having a piston-wheel provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the cylinder provided laterally withremovable partition-walls having self-adjusting packing-blocks,andforming with the piston-wheel the exhaust and steam chambers,substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine having a pistonwheel provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the cylinder provided laterally withremovable partition-walls having self-adj usting packing-blocks, andforming with the piston-wheel the exhaust and steam chambers,and thereciprocating pistons movable within openings k' in the piston-wheel,beveled at their extremities to afford spaces through which to admitsteam underneath the pistons, and produce thereby counter-pressure tothe steam-su ppl y, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine having a piston-wheel provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the shell A,having the cylindrical spaceD and provided with lateral plates secured over openings in the shell,and carrying partition-walls having selfadjusting packing blocks, andforming with the piston-wheel the exhaust and steam chambers,substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine having apiston-wheell provided withradially-reciprocating pistons, the shell A, having the cylindricalspace D and provided with lateral plates secured over openings in theshell, and carrying partitionwalls having self-adjusting packing blocks,and forming with the piston-wheel the exhaust and steam chambers, andthe reciprocating pistons movable within openings 7c' inthepiston-wheel, beveled at their extremities to at- "ford spaces throughwhich to admit steam underneath the piston, and produce therebycounter-pressure to the steam-su ppl y, substantially as described.

7. In a rotary engine, the shell A, divided on opposite sides to formwith the pistonwheel steam and exhaust chambers, and cylindrical in formtoward its central part to constitute the cylinder D, provided with camgrooves or slots H on its heads, and the rotary piston-wheel E, withinthe shell carrying radially-reciprocating pistons actuated by the camgrooves or slots H, and movable within openings 7o' in the piston-wheel,beveled at their extremities to afford spaces through which to admitsteam underneath the pistons,and produce thereby counter-pressure to thesteam suppl y,substantially as described.

8. In a rotary engine, the rotary pistonwheel E, provided withlongitudinal openings lc, containing bars L, carrying reciprocatingpistons F F' G G', and bent toward their opposite extremities to affordprojections L2, and cam grooves or slots H, formed on the cylinder-headsand serving to reciprocate the pistons by contact with the projectionsL2, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. .In a rotary engine, theI rotary pistonwheel E, provided withlongitudinal openings 7c, containing bars L, carrying reciprocatingpistons F F' G G', movablewithin openings k', beveled at theirextremities to afford spaces through which to ad mit steam underneaththe pistons, and produce thereby counter-pressure to the steamsupply,the said bars L being bent toward their opposite extremities to affordprojections L2, and cam grooves or slots H, formed on the cylinder-headsand serving to reciprocate the pistons by contact with the projectionsL2, substantially as described.

10. In a rotary engine, the shell A, having the cylindrical space D,having cam grooves or slots H on its heads and containingpacking-ringso, and provided laterally with removable partition-wallshaving self-adjusting packing blocks, a piston wheel, E, forming withthe partition-walls exhaust and steam chambers, and having heads K,provided with longitudinal openings k, containing bars L, bent towardtheir opposite extremities to at'- ford projections L2 in contact withthe cam grooves or slots H, and with openings k', beveled at theirextremities and containing pistonsF, F', G, and G', connected with thebars L, the whole being constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

1l. In a rotary engine, the shell A, having the cylindrical space D,having cam grooves or slots H on its heads and containing pack- IIOing-rings o, and provided laterally With removable partitionvwallscarrying self-adjusting packing-blocks,a piston-wheel, E, forming `withthe partition-walls exhaust and steam chambers, and having heads K,provided with longitudinal openings k, containi ng bars L, bent towardtheir opposite extremities to afford projections L2 in contact with thecam grooves or slots H, and with openings k', `beveled at theirextremities and containing pistons F F G G', connected with the bars Lby means of movable rods i, provided with springs g, the whole beingconstructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

12. In a rotary engine, the shell A, having the cylindrical space D,having cam grooves or slots H on its heads and containing pack ing-ringso, having means, substantially as described, upon the cylinder fortightening them JAMES J. ST. LAWRENCE.

In presence of WILLIAM H. SOA RRY, MASON BRoss.

